Question

Mrs. Smith leaves the office in tears, stating that she has no idea what Dr. Olsen just told her and she was not given explanation regarding the tests the doctor ordered. She thinks that something must be terribly wrong with her for the doctor to order these tests. You know that in the past Mrs. Smith has been unhappy with her medical treatment and has threatened to sue Dr. Olsen. After reviewing the Patients’ Bill of Rights, explain what the physician did or did not do to honor those provisions. What steps should you take to help the patient?

Please write in clearly and asnwer as soon as possible thank you

Answer 1

“The right of informed consent” is one of the patient’s rights. Means, before starting therapy, the patient must be informed about the plan of health care, potential risks, and benefits, available alternative treatments or the option of no treatment.

The physician and or nurse need to explain the patient’s condition, risks, and benefits associated with the treatment. The informed consent places the control over a patient’s health in their own hands so that they can make decisions about their health care. Patients should never be forced to undergo any type of clinical treatment.

In the given case, it seems that the patient did not understand the purpose of the tests. The physician provided in the information to the patient but did not make sure that the patient understood the information. So, the patient must be explained about the plan of treatment and the diagnostic tests prescribed to avoid the law suit.